Learning anatomy before and during COVID-19 pandemic: Students' perceptions and exam performance

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Anatomy Teaching
• COVID-19 Impact

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a rapid transition from traditional face-to-face to online anatomy education.
• Student perceptions and performance in anatomy learning were potentially affected by this shift.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on anatomy learning.
• To compare student perceptions of face-to-face versus online anatomy teaching methods.
• To assess the impact of teaching modalities on student performance.

Main Methods:

• A descriptive, cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study was conducted.
• Undergraduate medical students at the College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Arabian Gulf University (CMMS-AGU) were surveyed.
• Data were collected from students who experienced both pre-pandemic (face-to-face) and pandemic (online) anatomy demonstrations.

Main Results:

• Students favored face-to-face teaching for spatial understanding, visualization of anatomical relations, and confidence in practical exams.
• Online teaching was preferred for information retention, discussion confidence, time utilization, and reduced stress.
• Significant differences in objective structured practical examination scores were observed between online and onsite formats.
• A majority of students preferred a blended learning approach for anatomy.

Conclusions:

• Both face-to-face and online anatomy teaching modalities have distinct advantages and disadvantages.
• Student performance varied between teaching formats, particularly in practical assessments.
• A hybrid model combining face-to-face and online anatomy demonstrations is recommended for future educational strategies.